I’m sure this has been discussed before, but I did some searching and haven’t found an answer.
Basically, every time I open a new pattern, I put in the same midi settings - track A is midi channel 9, MW and PW on, some cc values, etc - track B is channel 10, track C is 11, etc.
Now that I’ve typed it out it I guess it doesn’t actually sound that onerous to do and redo. But I’m still curious - is there a way to automatically populate the midi tracks when I create a new project/pattern? Or is my only option to make a default pattern with nothing on it but those midi tracks’ settings, then copy and paste it every time I make a new pattern? Thanks for your thoughts.
Set up and then save those midi settings as a template project called “template” or “blank”, something like that, along with any other settings that you’ll use every time (if any) and then lock the project. Just pull that same project up any time you’ll be using this configuration and then re-save it with your new project name so that you retain the template project and your new project has all of those settings pre-populated. I think that’s what a lot of people do, hopefully that works for you.
If you are specifically asking about like, for example, every time you make a new pattern you have to create the new midi setup but you ultimately don’t know how many patterns you’ll be using, then you probably want to start by copying those blank settings in the template project to a pattern slot that you don’t think you’ll be using so if you won’t use 16 patterns then put it in slot 16 or something and then you can also freely copy those settings in the current project. That’s what I do at least, although you can set up the template project with like 8 prepopulated patterns worth of midi tracks, however it’s less flexible that way bc if you need to change something you’re right back where you started, changing it on every track.
And just to be clear, the only reason that you’re locking it is to prevent yourself from accidentally saving over those settings if you forgot to copy and rename.
Also, if you didn’t already see it posted elsewhere, this is a good video which is worth watching or referring back to for most types of copypasta.
Man you are the best, thanks for all you do on here! The slot 16 idea is a great one because even if I do end up using it… It’s already populated. (Edit: although I guess it’s locked. But still.) I hadn’t seen this video, gonna watch it now. Thanks again.
Unrelated note: Do you know how to use the sound pool yet? So that you can use more than one kind of drum or different samples on the same track? Sound locks, basically.
Specifically, have you learned how to add sounds (samples with settings) to the pool? Because that’s the part that people usually get hung up on but for a digitakt 1 workflow the shit is essential.
I haven’t! Thanks for the tip. The problem is that every time I decide to sit down and learn the DT more deeply I just end up jamming. I’ll look into it! I’m out of town and bringing the DT with me, hopefully I’ll get some time with it. I understand the concept, but I’d love to hear more about why you consider sounds essential to the workflow.
Right now you have 8 total tracks and right now you can only use 1 sample on each.
The elektron words sample and sound have now become “sample” and “preset” but a sound is a “sample” which is saved into a different area, it can have settings like eq, filter, effects etc and it becomes a “preset” which is a “sound”, just a word. You can also save any raw sample with no settings as a sound, then it becomes accessible in the sound pool.
So, the level/data encoder that says sound browser underneath it on the left which when you press func and then turn that encoder it lets you scroll through sounds, those aren’t track samples, because the raw samples are loaded to the track from the sample slot on the source page, right? Well once you have a “sound”, you can go into recording mode and hold down a trig on your kick drum track, and then instead of just your kick drum, you can also add sounds to individual steps, meaning more than one kind of sample per track. Per step.
So instead of 8 total samples that you can only use 1 per track, you could build most of your drums on a single track by locking different drums to different steps, and now you have 6 or 7 more free tracks to do what you want with.
You need to consider things like mutes, so if I want to be able to remove the kick individually then I wouldn’t put the kick and snare on the same track, or if you want to use the low pass filter performatively and not have it impact another then I would not put those 2 samples on the same track, but if you want to use 2 or 3 different kick drum samples so it feels more like multi sampling, or if you are running out of tracks and you have one melodic sample or a vocal riff that hits on the 1 of the first page and a different but similar sample that hits on the 1 of the third page, and that’s all that they do, instead of wasting a track on each which you would normally do for a single one shot sample on each, you could put those both on the same track.
It’s like having a bunch of extra tracks, basically. I mean not exactly, but it feels like it when you need something like that and it’s not there.
Check out this post, if the process doesn’t make sense let me know. Essentially, all you have to do is pull up a track sample on the source page and you can either use it as is or adjust to taste and then follow these steps:
It does not require you to change the settings to save it as a sound, but you can change the settings and save it as a sound so it can be the raw wav file, or the modified wav file and it will not be destructive to the original sample in your +drive. I think it will take your understanding of DT to the next level.
Then, like how you do parameter locks, you can go into recording mode, hold down a step, and instead of changing parameters or levels, you instead turn the sound browser encoder and your sound pool list comes up and you can choose which “sound” (sample) you want to play on that step. Sometimes I do want to use like 3 kicks and using 3 tracks for that is a no go, so to me this is essential learning.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions though, I know you haven’t had DT for that long.
Hopefully that helps, and remember, sound and sample are elektron words that mean 2 different things. They’re very similar, but the paradigm of track sample and a “sample stored with settings” are going to come up over and over with elektron gear so this should help your workflow with other elektron devices as well. Like digitone or other synths have a similar paradigm where there is a track patch for the synth, but you can lock sounds (presets) to individual steps, so this is not just for the samplers it’s just the elektron workflow.
Gonna have to read this a couple more times but i think I get the gist of it. I’ve definitely p-locked different samples to a track to put like a snare and a hat on the same track, but i haven’t saved anything as a sound yet much less used the sound pool. I’ve barely even sampled anything into the DT either tbqh, although now I have a mixer with an out going straight into the inputs. Stoked to mess with this! Thanks again.
